The Washington Public Utility Legislation of 1933: Budget Orders as Res Judicata

Authors

John B. Sholley, University of Washington School of Law

Abstract

The Washington legislature at its regular 1933 session enacted a series of statutes radically altering the system of public utility regulation in this state both in scope and method. Recent years have witnessed similar developments in several other states. As is always the case with novel legislation, a number of questions of statutory construction and of constitutional law have arisen. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss one of the basic constitutional problems presented by the Washington legislation. Can preliminary, fact-finding orders of a public service commission which have been affirmed by the state courts be made conclusive as to such facts in subsequent litigation?

First Page

1

Recommended Citation

John B. Sholley, The Washington Public Utility Legislation of 1933: Budget Orders as Res Judicata, 10 Wash. L. Rev. 1 (1935).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wlr/vol10/iss1/8